Acupuncturists may apply a needle into different locations for a given acupuncture point. This may raise doubts and uncertainty about the efficacy of acupuncture treatments, and cause complications in acupuncture research and education. For example, the LI4 point located in the first web-space of the hand is one of the most commonly used acupuncture points, but the placement of LI4 is slightly ...

background: post-cesarean section analgesia improves functional ability of the mother and her interaction with the infant. pharmacological methods such as painkillers and narcotics are commonly used to reduce post-cesarean section pain. however, due to the complications of current pharmacological therapies, the use of non-pharmacological methods is currently receiving special attention. the pur...

Acupoint specificity is a foundational concept in acupuncture theory. It is closely related to the function of the acupoint. In this study, we sought to probe the central mechanisms of the specific correlation between LI4 and orofacial part in Bell's palsy patients. In total, 36 patients with left Bell's palsy were divided into three groups in random order, and each group received transcutaneou...

OBJECTIVE Our aim was to test the hypothesis that electroacupuncture (EA) at acupuncture point LI4 activates specific brain regions by nerve stimulation that is mediatied through a pathway involving the brachial plexus. METHODS Twelve acupuncture naive right-handed volunteers were allocated to receive three sessions of EA at LI4 in a random different order (crossover): (1) EA alone (EA); EA a...

BACKGROUND Fainting is one of the major adverse events that can occur as a result of acupuncture treatment. However, the observation of changes in biological parameters is rarely available when fainting occurs. In this case report, we could observe changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) in a participant who fainted while participating in a clinical trial aiming to observe a relationship betw...

AIM This study is the second report from a single experiment planned to determine if acupuncture at LI4 and SP6, or at the sacral points, could produce any harm in the pregnancy outcome of Wistar rats, as has been hypothesised in traditional knowledge. Here, we observe if these points can be harmful to the health of pregnant Wistar rats. METHODS A total of 48 pregnant Wistar rats were randoml...

BACKGROUND Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation over acupuncture points (acu-TENS) has been reported to improve clinical outcomes. The objectives of the present study were to investigate whether acupuncture point sensations were experienced during acu-TENS, and whether such sensations were associated with any concomitant changes in autonomic nervous system activity. METHODS This study ...

Background. The specificity of acupuncture points (acupoints) is one of the key concepts in traditional acupuncture theory, but the question of whether there is adequate scientific evidence to prove or disprove specificity has been vigorously debated in recent years. Acupoint laterality is an important aspect of acupoint specificity. Data is particularly scarce regarding the laterality of the s...